Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

As I’ve stated once before that I was led by God to a ministry called Celebrate Recovery, in which I am now a member with almost 2 years clean off drugs. And for this I praise God because I could not have done it alone. I tried for a many of years, but the problem all that time of getting clean and relapsing again and again was that I always tried to keep my sin a secret. Thinking no one was the wiser. Oh how I was sadly mistaken. First of all God knew, but I even tried to hide from Him. One would think and learn that if it didn’t work for Adam in the garden it’s not going to work for me and anyone else for that matter. I don’t know about anyone else but for me secrets destroy me and yet I still try. But some how when I confess my sin it’s as if a mighty weight was lifted right off my back and I know who to think for that Almighty God!

What’s really cool is that in CR through working the 12 steps and 8 principles in a step study with other men, men work with men, women work with women, we learn to develop accountability partners, and we also get a sponsor. You learn in a step study that you’re not all alone, which to me made confessing my sin a little easier. The reason for that is we all adhere to a confidentiality agreement. I mean wouldn’t be awful if I confessed a sin say against my wife and it found it’s way back to her, the devastation would be terrible to say the least. Personally I think a lot of people feel the same way and is a reason we remain in bondage to our sin…

Why confess my sin to each other? Well for one I believe this to be a command and two it takes the burden of having to keep secrets. Because God already knows is no reason not to confess to Him also. This is my belief. Why pray for each other? Prayer is one of the tools in a believer in Christ’s tool box that is powerful. The next powerful tool for us is Gods Word. This passage in James is all about prayer and having us pray for each other. We are in this together not fighting all alone. What are we being healed from? I believe 1st from spiritual sickness, sin, physical sickness. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. This isn’t say the prayer of the perfect, it’s righteous. I think it’s indicating a person that is holy, or Godly, one that remains waling a right relationship with Christ. God is the one that heals and only God, yet we need to remain with steadfast faith in Christ…..

22. Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is head of the church, his body, of which is the Savior. 24. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives submit to their husbands in everything.

33. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Now let us start with a basic definition of submit: to yield oneself to the authority or will of another, to consent or abide by the opinion or authority of another.

Sometimes I think I get submit and demand mixed up, at least I at times get them confused. Simply because I find myself asking my wife to do something in a commanding voice, almost belligerently, covering it in the façade of submit. I know this can and does get confusing for my wife, and then sugar coating it with I’M THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE. I remember my father telling us and mother DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO. Boy were we confuse covered in fear. I firmly believe that If I have my wife’s well being at heart and the good of the family she work with my decisions. But most of the time I’m selfish and not even close to selfless. And honestly I think this could be another cause of divorce, at least in part. Poor communication skills in a marriage will lead to a train wreck in the relationship. Then tie in a selfish love creates a relationship that’s bound to derail at some point. We both love God and I decide to get counseling with our pastor and my wife sought out our pastors wife. We decided we’re not ready to give in to divorce. With God all things are possible, and I had to submit to the authority of God.

What I think this passage is saying: Wives your submitting to you husband but more for the Lord, because husbands as Priests of the home we are going to answer for how we treated and lead our family in all areas , yes the Spiritual well being of our wives and children. Most guys are not going to abuse your or not love themselves, so let’s love our wives as we love ourselves and not abuse them in any way. See I should of took notes because I heard our pastor tell the wives not to be idle, so wives pray for a revival in the home, prompt the move of God in your homes.

We have to not put God in a box. He is all powerful, all knowing and infinite. He desires us to continually seek Him and when we will all the pieces will align in place, but have to not give up seeking, pursuing an intimate relationship with Christ.

Let’s close asking Father God place a hedge of protection over and around our marriages so as to not let the evil one destroy what you alone have joined together, help us to revive Your Spirit of Love in our hearts and our homes, help us to seek Your Son to help us learn from Your Word how to communicate with each. Help us to seek Your Face and Your Will in our marriages and in all we say and do. We give You all thanks, honor, glory, and praise, Father God we ask all this in Your Son’s precious Name, the name of Jesus, Amen…

25. Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26. to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27. And to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy as blameless. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29. After all, no one has ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church 30. For we are members of his body. 31. “For this reason a man leaves his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32. This is a profound mystery but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33. However each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect the husband.

This passage in Ephesians 5 has 3 parts to it. It starts out first to the wives, then to the husbands and the in chapter 6 to the children. This also is the message to the families in which is a picture of Christ’s church. In which is the message that was delivered to the body of Christ where I am called to serve.

Now I must remind you that I have no Biblical education so in illustrating what these verses are saying, I will use a little of myself as an example and will be putting the meaning in my own words as I understood what I heard. We first heard open your Bibles and take notes. I looked around and wonder how many men took notes, also I witnessed many women with note pads taking notes. Not that that matters much, other than I didn’t take notes and relied on my wife. I say this because for me I rely way too much on my wife to do way to much, more than she is called to do as my wife. But then again in line with her calling she is not being idle.

I can’t put an exact number on this but in the church today more than 51% of marriages end in divorce, in which mine was almost a victim. I think in line with this passage we have to examine why. The reasons why my marriage almost ended in divorce is purely because of my selfish love. In this I was on a collision course heading for a train wreck. I am often pursuing my own selfish gains and thereby leaving out the needs of my wife. I will admit and she will testify that this is not always the case, however it is enough that it leaves us both unsatisfied. I also have to admit that my pursuit to know God is not enough. Meaning that it has to not be just enough, my pursuit to know God and being a Godly man needs to be the priority in my life. Not to pursue God for what He can do for me or/and what I can get from Him. My God doesn’t carry around a magic wand for me to wish upon a star please fix my problems. No my prayers should consist of Lord you have saved me by your grace, Lord I submit my life to you. For you to mold me, shape me into the likeness of Christ, transform me and my mind with your Word so that my life will be a pleasing sight unto you Father God. I think that the reasons for a lot of divorces are because as men, leaders of our families we are pursuing the wrong things, in the wrong ways and thereby are not pursuing God enough and our wives.

Gentlemen we have to ask ourselves in the directive of this Scripture; How does Christ love the church? He came and PURSUED her!! He has never stopped and he is still pursuing us today! Let us examine what it means to pursue. To actively go after. Take a female lion that has to feed her young, she will do whatever it takes to catch her prey. Or Take a police officer that’s chasing a criminal, they will stop at no expense in getting their guy. Now lets look at God we deserve to die because of sin, God put his own Son on a cross to redeem his creation and Christ is still actively pursuing us today, to save us, then to help us walk closely with Him. God gave us His Word for us to pursue and know Him. What lengths will you/me go to pursue a relationship with God? Men what lengths will we go to pursue our wives. Now I understand that it’s more than just pursuing. And so we are clear LOVE is not and emotion, It’s an action. There is an emotional element to it, but it’s what we do, it’s who God is and who we are to be also. I didn’t come up with this, our youth pastor explained to me. And then read 1 JOHN which says God is Love, then turn to 1 CORINTIANS 13 and it says what Love and what God is. Father God as your bride help me to love you and my wife as you love the church. In Jesus Name Amen….

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We are living in a society addicted to sex. Yes, I’m talking about sex. I’m going to say sex several times during this post, so if you have a problem seeing the word sex, or the word pornography, you might as well stop now. The truth is, you already see more skin than you would like on the magazine racks, skimpy girls promoting a hamburger wearing a bikini (so not relevant), and nasty pop ups while you’re tying to find something on Google. Although you may be uncomfortable, it’s already all around you, so let’s deal with it.

Sexual addiction is real –I work with individuals who are struggling with sexual addiction. Their minds battle daily with these images. It’s like having pop ups inside their mind constantly coming at them without notice. Once they engage in these risky sexual behaviors (porn, cyber sex, multiple partners or prostitution), they are…

31. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

This is the Scripture that was in my mind when I woke up this morning and I really love this promise. Quite honestly these verses have been brewing in my heart and on my mind for a few days now. I have to admit that there are times in studying to write I get a little bit anxious but then something I read gives me a wow factor. I don’t presume to have a sin free life, but I am thankful to a program that I’m led to participate in called Celebrate Recovery.

Celebrate Recovery is a Christ centered 12 step program, with 8 principles based on the Beatitudes. What we do in CR is seek Christ’s healing power for life’s Hurts, Habits and Hang Ups, and sin. Through the 12 steps this program is teaching me the true love that God has for me and His forgiveness and learning to forgive myself and others, as well as making amends for harm done. One of the things I believe I’ve been set free from for going on 2 years is freedom from active addiction to drugs.

What I believe that this verse is saying: Is that Jesus is telling the Jews who had believed Him, If you abide in His Word, holding fast to His teaching and live in accordance with them then you truly are His disciples. And you will know the truth that leads to salvation and the truth that will set free you from sin, not from ignorance.

So in perspective what must I do to be set free? Study Gods Word, living as best I can holding fast to the teachings of Jesus. And just for me personally I go to CR for extra help in addition to several Bible Studies. I’m not saying that you the reader has to go to CR, but if you find yourself struggling from any of life’s Hurts, Habits or Hand Ups feel free to check us out.

If you’re in need of a Savior, pray to God asking Him to reveal Himself in a Mighty way to you. Just talk to Him laying your troubles at the foot of the cross, then be prepared to pick up your cross and follow Jesus. It’s not easy all the time but it’s worth it. If your in need of freedom in some way? Seek Christ through His Word allowing Him to be your Lord, submitting to His Authority.